Getting the Armor Right

Fire of Liberty

Last week I was watching the various morning cable-news programs and came across the story about the new body-armor that the US will introduce to its soldiers in the coming months. Though I'm happy that we're giving our soldiers their much needed body armor, I was a little dismayed about the armor's bulkiness and restrictive nature of these new suits. While I looked at the subsequent pictures of the new suits I kept on thinking about how a soldier might be protected from a bullet and some explosions but if he had to get out of his Humvee really quick, run in tight spaces chasing a target/terrorist, or standing in the desert heat, he'd have a heck of a time doing it. (Just imagine the Stay-Puff or the Michelin Man jumping up, running, or reacting quickly, they just can't do it.) Let's hope the folks on the Pentagon's R&D team or some other research lab is working day and night to make more flexible, sleek as well as light weight body armor because the guys in the field need to have stuff that really works. We don't big and bulky things like this

In fact, there are several folks out there in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as individuals who are well versed in the life of soldiers. One person I'd say that seems to have a good take on our body armor is TCS Daily's Ralph Kinney Bennett who has written a good piece that notes how in an effort to provide our soldiers with as much body armor as we can have has actually had a major impact on our soldiers mobility, stealthiness, fortitude, and general ability to fight due to its heaviness and bulky nature. I particularly like the following paragraphs by Bennett which takes the advice of several soldiers who are serving in Iraq and the general assessment of piling on more armor and how it hinders their ability to fight it out against the terrorists. Take a look:

"Our body armor is not perfect," notes Baghdad Guy, the blog name of an infantryman currently serving in Iraq. "“But overall it does a remarkable job of protecting soldiers, marines and airmen and everyone else who wears it."”

The real armor problem, as this soldier and many others have been pointing out, is weight and restriction of movement. The fast-moving firefights and ambushes in Iraq, the building-to-building combat, puts a premium on rapid movement and a soldier'’s ability to employ his weapons at every possible angle. Long patrols in intense heat when in "“happy gear" exacts huge physical penalties.

"“When I step out the gate,"” says Baghdad Guy, "“I am wearing on my person body armor, a Kevlar helmet, my M4 rifle with a few hundred rounds of ammunition, my M9 sidearm with another hundred rounds of ammunition, 2-3 quarts of water, a portable radio, night vision equipment, and numerous other odds and ends."”

He figures that "full combat load"” adds more than 40 pounds to his weight "“give or take a grenade."” But he's probably on the low side. Estimates at James Dunnigan'’s excellent Strategypage.com show that troops, operating in temperatures that frequently reach over 100 degrees, carry as much as 100 pounds of extra weight while engaging in the rigors of combat in Iraq.

After about 10 pounds of clothing (goggles, kneepads etc.) and 24 pounds of armor (current vest with ceramic plates and Kevlar helmet) other items add up fast -- at least 20 pounds of ammo, 12 to 15 pounds for grenades, rifle, bayonet, flashlight.

We need more of this kind of info to reach the Pentagon and Capitol Hill before the start calling for more armor or doling out big a bulky body-armor that looks like an overstuffed snow parka. Let the soldiers tell you what the need and incorporate them in the design, you'll get a better input from the customer and a better product.